A clear explanation of a pressing problem and an invitation to take action.
The problem of plastics in the ocean is worldwide in scope, but it can be addressed by individuals.
This disturbing but somewhat hopeful account of an increasingly pressing environmental concern caused by humans is framed by the experience of a pair of northern fulmars, Canadian seabirds. An opening section introduces the fulmars, feeding and raising their family, and recounts the death of the female due to plastic ingestion. The second addresses the problem this useful material has created in our oceans, from the visible trash to microplastics and toxins in sea creatures and the water around them as well as the garbage whirlpools forming in our oceans. A third section suggests ways readers can help and gives examples of progress. A final spread describes the lone male, displaced from his nest but soaring off to find a new mate. The text is clearly organized, usually one topic to a spread. The large, generously set type makes this discomfiting text more accessible. There are striking, memorable photographs and vignettes and some full-bleed full-page and full, wordless double-page spreads. This effective presentation is the joint work of a versatile Norwegian writer and the Norwegian representative to the United Nations Environment Program in the area of marine litter. It was first published in Norway in 2016 and has been smoothly translated for this American edition.
A clear explanation of a pressing problem and an invitation to take action. (word list) (Nonfiction. 9-13)Pub Date: April 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-943645-50-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Cornell Lab Publishing Group
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
Most children know what an astronaut is, but an aquanaut? Not so common. Focusing on a one-week expedition in the underwater science station Aquarius, Mallory and marine photographer Skerry literally immerse themselves in this adventure. The science station is an 80-ton cylindrical steel chamber that's like “a mobile home someone has driven into the ocean.” The team's project is to electronically tag fish and observe their daily habits. The narrative chronicles the safety training needed before the expedition, the implantation of tags or pingers inside the fish and the day-to-day experience of living 60 feet below the ocean’s surface. What do aquanauts eat? Can you make telephone calls and send e-mails? And most importantly—is it possible for a toilet to explode from too much pressure? (Answer: yes.) Full-page interludes on topics such as sea-habitat history and the importance of decompression are disruptive at times but ultimately add to the understanding of this undersea adventure. A rather dry design aside, this book intrigues. (introduction, further reading, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-607-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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